Interpreting a common script block to output various forms of data according to a common protocol

ABSTRACT

A virtual machine has a first upper level script, a second upper level script, and common block of script. The first and second scripts and the common block of script are interpreted by an interpreter of the virtual machine. The common block of script may, for example, be a script that encodes data bits in accordance with a remote control device communication protocol. The first script may include information for outputting first data bits (for example, key data). The second script may include information for outputting second data bits (for example, key data). The first script calls the common script, thereby outputting the first data in accordance with the protocol. The second script also calls the common script, thereby outputting the second data in accordance with the same protocol. Use of the common script in the outputting of the first and second data reduces memory requirements and therefore system cost.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation in part of, and claims priority under35 U.S.C. §120 from, nonprovisional U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/777,023 entitled “Interactive Web-Based Codeset Selection andDevelopment Tool,” filed on Feb. 10, 2004, the subject matter of whichis incorporated herein by reference.

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119 of provisionalapplication Ser. No. 60/576,941, entitled “A Compact Register-BasedVirtual Machine And Its Use On Resource-Constrained Devices”, filed Jun.3, 2004. The subject matter of provisional application Ser. No.60/576,941 is incorporated herein by reference.

CROSS REFERENCE TO COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

The Compact Disc Appendix, which is a part of the present disclosure, isone recordable Compact Disc (CD-R) containing information that is partof the disclosure of the present patent document. A portion of thedisclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject tocopyright protection. All the material on the Compact Disc is herebyexpressly incorporated by reference into the present application. Thecopyright owner of that material has no objection to the facsimilereproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure,as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files orrecords, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to the programming and controlof inexpensive resource-constrained devices such as, for example, IRremote control devices and devices including embedded inexpensivemicrocontrollers.

BACKGROUND

Electronic consumer devices (for example, televisions, radios, digitalvideo disk (DVD) players, video cassette recorders (VCRs), soundsystems, home entertainment systems, video game controllers, set-topboxes, personal computers) and home appliances (for example, ceilingfans, lights, alarm systems, garage door openers, kitchen appliances,heating controls) are often controllable by one or more remote controldevices. Such a remote control device is often a handheld device with aset of keys and a transmitter (for example, an infrared (IR)transmitter).

Each device to be controlled recognizes and responds to a particular setof incoming codes communicated on a carrier. Information describing onesuch set of codes is sometimes called a codeset. A particular televisionmay, for example, respond to codes of one codeset, whereas a particularDVD player may respond to codes of a different codeset. One or morecodesets are therefore typically stored on a remote control device sothat the remote control device can control one or more types of devices.

The format in which such codeset information is stored on a remotecontrol device is typically compressed so that it consumes as littlememory space as is practical. The format of the compacted informationmay be proprietary and/or may be difficult to decipher to one not awareof the format. Not only can the codeset information be difficult todecipher, but the mechanism used to read the codeset information and togenerate the actual code transmitted can also be difficult to decipher.The mechanism may, for example, involve machine code that exercisesfunction-specific hardware. The mechanism on a first type of remotecontrol device may differ from the mechanism performing the samefunction on a second type of remote control device. For these and otherreasons, the programming of remote control devices can be quite involvedand can involve accessing proprietary information. It generally requiresthe knowledge of the hardware platform of the remote control device.There are different types of remote control devices, and code from oneremote control device cannot simply be transferred to another type ofremote control device.

Some remote control devices are relatively expensive devices that have asignificant amount of processing power, memory and other hardwareresources. A typical cell phone is one such device that has substantialresources and that executes an operating system. A typical personaldigital assistant (PDA) is another such device that has substantialresources and has an operating system.

In one example, the PDA executes the PalmOS operating system and is aJava Virtual Machine (JVM). The JVM provides just-in-time interpretationof Java bytecode scripts into native machine code. The PDA provides thehardware and other functionality to support a standard set of Javaapplication programming interfaces (API). When the Java bytecode isinterpreted, the resulting native machine code may call an API such thatthe API returns values or causes certain functions to be performed. Iftwo JVM PDAs both support the same set of APIs, then a Java bytecodescript that uses these Java APIs can be made to run on both platformswithout modification.

Although the JVM and PalmOS scripting language and interpreter mechanismmay be appropriate for certain classes of expensive platforms like PDAs,the JVM and PalmOS mechanism consumes too much memory and processorresources to be used on other classes of platforms. The sale price ofmany remote control devices is extremely cost sensitive. A remotecontrol device may, for example, be provided with an electronic consumerdevice and may almost be a throw-away device. A processor that is asinexpensive as practical is used to implement remote controlfunctionality. The amount of both program memory and data memoryincluded is kept as low as possible and is typically a fraction of theamount of program memory and data memory available in a PDA. In theclass of inexpensive remote control devices, there is typically nooperating system. The programming of the processor is often handcraftedto reduce the amount of memory space consumed. Codeset informationneeded to generate codes to operate electronic consumer devices isgenerally compressed and stored in obscure memory-efficient formats. Aprogram in such a remote control device cannot therefore be ported fromone type of device to another. The program is generally not easilyunderstandable by anyone not intimately familiar with the way the codewas written and the particular hardware platform on which it operates. Anovel scripting language and associated script interpreter are sought,whereby the interpreter interprets scripts into machine code of aprocessor in a microcontroller of limited memory and computing power.

SUMMARY

An inexpensive device (for example, an IR remote control device) has abidirectional communication link (for example, an IR receiver and an IRtransmitter). The processor of the device is an 8-bit microcontrollerhaving no more than 64 k bytes of program memory, and no more than 4 kbytes of random access memory (RAM). The processor does not execute areal-time operating system. The processor does, however, implement acompact, register-based, 8-bit virtual machine. The compact virtualmachine interprets scripts written in accordance with a novel compact,low-level, scripting language. The virtual machine includes a scriptinterpreter, a loader API functionality, a receiver API functionality, atransmitter API functionality, and an execute script direct APIfunctionality.

A general-purpose device with the virtual machine including the APIfunctionalities is manufactured in volume. To customize the device for aparticular application, an additional API functionality not initially onthe device can later be loaded into the device via the bidirectionallink. The additional API functionality allows a script to exercise oruse particular hardware and/or input/output (I/O) capabilities of theunderlying hardware platform. The API functionality loaded is, in oneembodiment, an amount of low-level machine code made up of instructionsof the instruction set of the processor. Using this technique, APIs canaccess and use any hardware capabilities of the underlying processorincluding, for example, a timer, a register such as a control registeror a diagnostic register, an analog-to-digital converter, adigital-to-analog converter, a display, a digital output terminal, adigital input terminal, and a bus controller or bus interface. Inanother embodiment, the later-loaded API functionality is an amount ofscript written in the novel script language understood by the virtualmachine. Regardless of the type of API functionality, the code of theAPI functionality can be received onto the device by the receiver APIfunctionality or by a digital input terminal, and can be loaded intoprogram memory. The loaded API functionality is assigned an identifier.Once loaded, a script being interpreted by the script interpreter caninvoke and exercise the API functionality using this identifier.

To further customize the device, a script can be loaded into the devicevia the bidirectional link. The code of the script is received onto thedevice by the receiver API functionality, and is loaded into programmemory. The script, when interpreted by the script interpreter, can callthe various API functionalities supported, including the APIfunctionalities downloaded into the device over the bidirectional linkas set forth above. The script, once loaded into the program memory ofthe device, is interpreted by the script interpreter. Interpretation ofthe script causes the device to perform a custom function.

In yet another embodiment, the device is an IR remote control devicewith a processor. The processor is a Z8 Encore microcontroller availablefrom Zilog, Inc. of San Jose, Calif. To enable the remote control deviceto control a particular electronic consumer device (for example aparticular television that responds to IR commands of a particularcodeset), a script is loaded into the remote control device. The script,when executed, causes the keys of the remote control device to bescanned to detect any keys that might have been pressed. If a key isdetected to have been pressed, then the script causes an appropriatecommand code operational signal of an appropriate codeset to betransmitted from the remote control device. The command code operationalsignal, when received by the electronic consumer device, causes theelectronic consumer device to perform a function that corresponds to thekey that was pressed. If, for example, the power key on the remotecontrol device was detected to have been pressed, then the command codeoperational signal for the power key is transmitted to the televisionthereby causing the television to toggle on or off.

The information that enables the remote control device to output commandcode operational signals of one codeset as opposed to command codeoperational signals of a different codeset is embedded into the script.Accordingly, a second remote control device identical to the firstremote control device can be loaded with API functionality and a secondscript such that the second remote control will work with a differentelectronic consumer device (for example, a second television thatresponds to IR command codes of a second codeset). Rather than loadingthe first script that facilitates communication with the firsttelevision, a second script is loaded that facilitates communicationwith the second television. Manufacturing and inventory control istherefore simplified because general-purpose remote control devices canbe produced in greater volumes. Customized scripts are simply loadedinto general-purpose remote control devices in order to make the remotecontrol devices function with one type of electronic consumer device oranother.

In yet another embodiment, the compact virtual machine with thebidirectional link and the loader API functionality converts a simpleinexpensive remote control device into a flexible, reprogrammable,general-purpose platform. The script within the remote control device iscustomizable. It can be overwritten and/or modified without making anyhardware changes to the remote control device. Scripts and/or APIfunctionalities can be added to the remote control devices in thefactory and/or in the field.

Not only can identical remote control devices be loaded with differentscripts, but a script can be interpreted by a virtual machine running onany one of multiple different hardware platforms. In one example, allthe different members of a family of microcontrollers are programmedusing the same scripting language. All the members of the family realizethe same virtual machine. Although these different members may havedifferent hardware capabilities and features and may have some differentAPI functionalities, a great deal of the controlling software is commondue to the use of the same scripting language and same virtual machine.The common portion of script, once written, can be ported from onevirtual machine platform to the next without having to be retested orrequalified. Significant commonalities and savings results.

In a first aspect, a mark/space table and a string of timing informationis generated on a remote control device when a command on the remotecontrol device is chosen. The command may, for example, be chosen when akey on the remote control is pressed. The command is associated with afunction of an electronic consumer device. The mark/space table containsa mark time and a space time associated with a codeset, and the codesetincludes a command code corresponding to the command. When the remotecontrol device detects that the command is chosen, the mark/space tableis generated along with a string of timing information that referencesmark times and space times in the mark/space table. Once the mark/spacetable and the string of timing information are generated, the mark/spacetable and the string of timing information are used to generate anoperational signal such that the command code is encoded in theoperational signal. The operational signal is received by the electronicconsumer device and causes the electronic consumer device to perform thefunction associated with the command that was chosen.

In one example of the first aspect, a mark/space table includes a firstN-bit value that describes a mark time and a second N-bit value thatdescribes the space time. A string of timing information includes astring of M-bit indices. A first M-bit index points to the first N-bitvalue, and a second M-bit index points to the second N-bit value. Asopposed to representing the string of timing information as a pluralityof N-bit values, the string is represented as a plurality of M-bitindices that point to N-bit values in the mark/space table. The stringof timing information is stored in less memory where N is larger than M.The mark time and the space time are used to modulate or encode akeycode (in this case a keycode is a command code associated with aspecific key) onto an operational signal, wherein the keycodecorresponds to a function of an electronic consumer device.

In a second aspect, a script is interpreted on a remote control deviceto generate a mark/space table and a string of timing information. Thescript contains codeset information and is interpreted when a first keyis pressed on the remote control device. The first key corresponds to afirst function of an electronic consumer device. The mark/space tableand the string of timing information are then used to generate anoperational signal. The operational signal causes the electronicconsumer device to perform the first function. When a second key ispressed on the remote control device, the script is interpreted a secondtime thereby generating a second mark/space table and a second string oftiming information. The second mark/space table and the second string oftiming information are then used to generate a second operationalsignal. The second operational signal is received by the electronicconsumer device and causes the electronic consumer device to perform asecond function corresponding to the second key that was pressed on theremote control device.

In one example of the second aspect, a remote control device includes amicrocontroller and a script interpreter. A script is stored in a memoryon the microcontroller. The script contains codeset information of acodeset associated with an electronic consumer device. The scriptinterpreter interprets the script to generate a mark/space table and astring of timing information. The mark/space table and the string oftiming information is then used to generate an operational signal andthe operational signal is transmitted from the remote control device.

In another example of the second aspect, the codeset informationincludes a keycode. The keycode is a digital number that indicates a keyon the remote control device. The script interpreter outputs a string ofmarks and spaces that represents the keycode. In this example, thestring of marks and spaces has two adjacent marks. The remote controldevice includes a level one builder that receives the string of marksand spaces from the script interpreter and determines a combined marktime with a duration equal to a combined duration of the two adjacentmarks. The level one builder generates a mark/space table that containsthe combined mark time. The level one builder also generates a string oftiming information that references the combined mark time as opposed toreferencing two smaller mark times. The mark/space table and the stringof timing information generated by the level one builder is then used togenerate an operational signal.

In a third aspect, a script block is called by both a first upper-levelscript and by a second upper-level script. The first upper-level scriptcontains first data, and the second upper-level script contains seconddata. When the script block is called by the first upper-level script,the first data is encoded so as to conform to a common protocol. Whenthe script block is called by the second upper-level script the seconddata is encoded so as to conform to the common protocol. Theinterpreting is performed on an 8-bit microcontroller with less thanseventy kilobytes of memory. No compiler or operating system is presenton the microcontroller.

In one example of the third aspect, interpreting the script blockgenerates strings of mark times and space times that are consistent witha common protocol. When the script block operates on the first data, forexample, a first string of mark times and space times is output that isconsistent with the common protocol. When the script block operates onthe second data, for example, a second string of mark times and spacetimes is output that is consistent with the common protocol. The commonprotocol may, for example, be a common protocol for encoding digitalbits, wherein the first data is a first keycode and where the seconddata is a second keycode. The first string of mark times and space timesis converted into a first mark/space table and a first string of timinginformation. The first mark/space table and the first string of timinginformation are then used to generate a first operational signal. Thefirst operational signal controls a first function of an electronicconsumer device corresponding to the first keycode. The second string ofmark times and space times is converted into a second mark/space tableand a second string of timing information. The second mark/space tableand the second string of timing information are then used to generate asecond operational signal. The second operational signal controls asecond function of an electronic consumer device corresponding to thesecond keycode.

In another example of the third aspect, a microcontroller includes amemory and a script interpreter. A first upper-level script, a secondupper-level script and a script block are stored in the memory. Firstdata is associated with the first upper-level script, and second data isassociated with the second upper-level script. The script blockimplements a common protocol. When the script block is called by thefirst upper-level script and the second upper-level script, the scriptinterpreter interprets the script block, and both the first data and thesecond data are output in accordance with the common protocol. Nocompiler or operating system is present on the microcontroller.

In a fourth aspect, a machine code application programming interface(API) is loaded onto a remote hardware platform to enable newfunctionality. The API is an amount of machine code that is loaded intothe remote hardware platform such that the machine code API can becalled by a script instruction interpretable by a script interpreter.

In one example of the fourth aspect, a first device has a firsteight-bit processor with a first instruction set. A first script isstored in the first device. A first script interpreter executes on thefirst eight-bit processor and interprets the first script. An amount ofmachine code that is executable on the first eight-bit processor isloaded into the first device after the first script interpreter hasalready been executing on the first eight-bit processor. The firstscript calls the amount of machine code such that the amount of machinecode is executed by the first eight-bit processor. A second device has asecond eight-bit processor with a second instruction set different fromthe first instruction set. A second script interpreter executes on thesecond eight-bit processor. A second script identical to the firstscript is interpreted by the second script interpreter. The secondscript includes the same script instruction identical to the scriptinstruction in the first script that resulted in the call of the amountof machine code that was executed by the first eight-bit processor.Interpreting on the second device of this identical script instruction,however, results in a call to an amount of machine code that is executedby the second eight-bit processor. This amount of machine code is codedin accordance with the second instruction set.

In another example of the fourth aspect, an integrated circuit includesan eight-bit processor, a memory that stores a script interpreter, and aloader functionality. The loader functionality is operable to cause anamount of machine code to be loaded into the integrated circuit. Thescript interpreter interprets in accordance with a scripting language.Interpreting an instruction in the scripting language causes executionby the processor of the amount of machine code.

In a fifth aspect, an eight-bit, register-based virtual machine isrealized on an eight-bit processor platform. The eight-bit processorplatform has no more than 64 kilobytes of program memory and no morethan 4 kilobytes of random access memory (RAM). In one embodiment, theeight-bit processor platform is a remote control device for controllingan electronic consumer device or a home appliance. In anotherembodiment, the eight-bit processor platform performs monitoring and/orcontrol functions in a larger device.

In one example of the fifth aspect, a remote control device forcontrolling an electronic consumer device includes a transmitter, aneight-bit processor and a script. The eight-bit processor executes a setof instructions that implements an eight-bit virtual machine, which inturn interprets the script. Interpreting the script causes anoperational signal to be transmitted from the transmitter. Theelectronic consumer device is responsive to a command code communicatedin the operational signal.

In another example of the fifth aspect, a virtual machine is realized ona remote control device. The virtual machine is an eight-bit,register-based virtual machine. A script is downloaded into the remotecontrol device and interpreted. The remote control device has nooperating system. Interpreting the script causes an operational signalto be transmitted from the remote control device. In one embodiment, theremote control device has an infrared transmitter, and the operationalsignal is an infrared signal.

In a sixth aspect, a script is sent via a secure communication link to avirtual machine for immediate execution. A script interpreter executeson an eight-bit microcontroller. A script instruction is received ontothe eight-bit microcontroller from an external source via the securecommunication link. The external source is authenticated prior toallowing the script instruction to be interpreted. Individual scriptinstructions may be sent to the virtual machine and interpreted, one byone, in this fashion over the secure communication link. The individualscript instructions, when interpreted, may cause information stored onthe virtual machine to be output over the secure communication link. Thereporting of information in this fashion may be used in debugging or inmonitoring and control applications.

In one example of the sixth aspect, an apparatus includes an eight-bitprocessor, a memory and an execute script direct functionality. A scriptinterpreter and a script are stored in the memory. The scriptinterpreter executes on the eight-bit processor and interprets thescript. A script instruction is received onto the apparatus when thescript is being interpreted. The execute script direct functionalitycauses the script instruction to be interpreted by the scriptinterpreter.

In a seventh aspect, a script interpreter interprets a first scriptinstruction and causes the interpreting to jump from a first location ina script to a second location in the script. The first scriptinstruction is disposed at the first location, and a second scriptinstruction is disposed at the second location. The second location isidentified by the first script instruction. After the jump the scriptinterpreter sequentially interprets a predetermined number of scriptinstructions, starting with and including the second script instruction.After the predetermined number of script instructions has beeninterpreted, the interpreting of script instructions automaticallyreturns to a third location. The third location is the location thatimmediately follows the first location.

In one example of the seventh aspect, a first portion of script isprovided, which causes a device to output an operational signal inaccordance with a first protocol. The first portion of script contains afirst “call relative counted” (CLRC) script instruction. A secondportion of script is provided, which causes the device to output asecond operational signal in accordance with a second protocol. Thesecond portion of script contains a second CLRC script instruction. Thefirst CLRC script instruction causes a first jump to a third portion ofscript such that a first predetermined number of script instructions ofthe third portion are interpreted. The first CLRC script instructionthen automatically causes a first return jump back to the first portion.The second CLRC script instruction causes a second jump to the thirdportion of script such that a second predetermined number of scriptinstructions of the third portion are interpreted. The second CLRCscript instruction then automatically causes a second return jump backto the second portion.

In another example of the seventh aspect, a virtual machine includes amemory and a means for interpreting a CLRC script instruction. The meansincludes an eight-bit processor. When the means is interpreting scriptinstructions, the CLRC script instruction is communicated to the virtualmachine across a communication link. After the CLRC script instructionis communicated to the virtual machine, the virtual machine suspends anyother script interpreting and immediately interprets the CLRC scriptinstruction.

Other embodiments and advantages are described in the detaileddescription below. This summary does not purport to define theinvention. The invention is defined by the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, where like numerals indicate like components,illustrate embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram that shows a remote control device, aswell as the structure of software executing on the remote controldevice.

FIG. 2 illustrates operation of the IR transmission engine of FIG. 1 inconnection with a mark/space table and a string of timing information.

FIG. 3 illustrates the significance of each bit of a mark/space pairbyte.

FIG. 4 illustrates the significance of each bit of a control byte.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a waveform of an operational signal, aswell as the mark/space table and the string of timing information usedto generate that operational signal.

FIGS. 6-11 set forth a script that is interpreted by the virtual machineof FIG. 1.

FIG. 12 is a diagram that sets forth the global registers of the virtualmachine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 13 is a diagram setting forth the opcodes of the scriptinstructions interpreted by the virtual machine of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 14-16 illustrate waveforms of operational signals, as well as themark/space tables and the corresponding string of timing informationused to generate those operational signals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to some embodiments of theinvention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram that shows a remote control device 1, aswell as the structure of software 2 executing on the remote controldevice. Remote control device 1 includes a microcontroller or otherprocessor that executes code stored in a memory on remote control device1. Software 2 in combination with hardware of remote control device 1implements several application programming interface (API) functions. AnAPI portion of software 2 includes a level one builder functionality 3,a key-scanning API functionality 4, an infrared (IR) transmission enginefunctionality 5, an IR receiver functionality 6, a loader APIfunctionality 7, and an execute script direct functionality 8.

When a key on remote control device 1 is pressed, information indicativeof which key was pressed is reported by key scanning functionality 4into an associated one of global registers 9. Key scanning functionality4 is a combination of software and hardware. Operation of key scanningfunctionality 4 is explained in further detail below. In one example, IRtransmission engine functionality 5 is a software subroutine executed bythe microcontroller of remote control device 1.

A script 10 is stored in memory on remote control device 1. Script 10 isinterpreted instruction-by-instruction by script interpreter 11. Script10 may, for example, determine which key was pressed by reading thecontents of the global register into which key scanning functionality 4placed the information indicative of which key was pressed.Interpretation of script 10 may also, for example, cause remote controldevice 1 to transmit a keycode of a codeset from an IR transmitter 12.The keycode is modulated onto an IR carrier signal and is transmitted inthe form of an operational signal 13. Digital values are modulated ontooperational signal 13 using a modulation technique defined by theparticular transmission protocol used by the codeset that controls anelectronic consumer device (for example, a television). The IRoperational signal 13 is received by the electronic consumer device andcauses the electronic consumer device to perform a desired function. Thekeycode may, for example, be a POWER-ON code that causes the televisionto turn on.

To cause remote control device 1 to output operational signal 13, script10 calls functions of the level one builder 3 such that level onebuilder 3 builds a mark/space table and generates a string of timinginformation. The string of timing information is a string of N-bitindices that point to specific locations in the mark/space table andthereby designate the durations and sequence of marks and spaces inoperational signal 13. The mark/space table and the string of timinginformation contain information on how to generate operational signal13. In some types of encoding, digital ones and zeros are characterizedby pairs of marks and spaces. One mark/space pair represents a digitalzero, and another mark/space pair represents a digital one. In theseencoding types, a space always follows a mark. For each codeset, themarks and spaces for each digital pair have predefined lengths. Forexample, for pulse position modulation A (PPMA), the mark length for adigital zero and a digital one is the same, but the space lengths aredifferent. For pulse width modulation B (PWMB), the combined length ofthe pulse and space for both a digital zero and a digital one are thesame, but the length of the pulse and space are different.

In other encoding types, one space can be followed by another space, ora mark is followed by another mark. For PPMC encoding, a digital one isrepresented by a mark/space pair, but a digital zero is represented byonly a space. Thus, a space can follow another space. With Manchesterencoding, a mark can follow another mark, and a space can follow anotherspace. For encoding types where one mark can follow another mark, andone space can follow another space, level one builder 3 builds amark/space table that also contains the durations of all combinedmark/mark and space/space lengths used by the keycode. It is evenpossible that a keycode would contain three or more adjacent marks orspaces in some encoding types.

Once the mark/space table and the string of timing information iscreated, script 10 calls a SEND function on IR transmission engine 5. IRtransmission engine 5 is a combination of software and hardware. IRtransmission engine 5 retrieves the information in the mark/space tableand the string of timing information and uses it to generate operationalsignal 13. Thus, the API portion of software 2 together with the scriptinterpreter 11 function as a signal engine to generate operationalsignal 13.

In addition to transmitting signals, remote control device 1 can alsoreceive an incoming communication 14 via IR receiver 15. Information incommunication 14 is received and decoded by IR receiver functionality 6.This may, for example, involve synchronizing onto a bit stream in thecommunication, and then clocking a sequence of payload bits into aregister, and then performing error detection on the payload bits. Ifthe payload bits meet the error detection test, then the IR receiverfunctionality 6 writes the payload bits in form of bytes into apredetermined location in memory known to loader 7. Script 10 and loader7 can access the payload bits to determine what information wascontained in the incoming communication 12 and to take appropriateaction.

Level one builder 3, key scanning functionality 4, infrared (IR)transmission engine 5, IR receiver functionality 6, loader 7, executescript direct functionality 8, script interpreter 11, and the associatedunderlying hardware platform together form a virtual machine 16. Script10 can execute. on this virtual machine. The very same script 10 canexecute on a different platform involving a different microcontroller orprocessor and a different memory structure provided that the API portionof software 2 (the API functions of blocks 3-8) are provided to theother platform. A hardware platform can be customized by loading APIfunctionality not initially on the device via a bidirectional link. Inthis way, a signal engine for generating operational signal 13 can besent to a remote hardware platform, such as a remote control device or acellular phone, by transmitting the API portion of software 2 togetherwith the script interpreter 11 to the remote hardware platform.

Mark/Space Table and String of Timing Information

FIG. 2 illustrates operation of IR transmission engine 5 in connectionwith a mark/space table 20 and a string of timing information 21. Thetop row of the mark space table contains a list of up to seven marktimes. These mark times are designated MARK TIME #0 through MARK TIME #6in the diagram. Each mark time value is a sixteen bit value, for whicheach count increment represents a fixed amount of time. The countincrement for a mark time is two microseconds. Thus, the longest marktime represented by a mark time value is 2¹⁶×2 microseconds. Not all ofthe mark time locations in the table must be filled. If there is onlyone mark time, then this value is placed in the MARK TIME #0 location.If there are two mark times, then the two values are placed in the MARKTIME #0 and MARK TIME #1 locations, and so forth.

The last entry in the upper row of mark/space table 20 contains sixteenbits of carrier modulation information. The first eight bits stores amodulation “on count” value M-ON, whereas the second eight bits stores amodulation “off count” value M-OFF. If the marks in the operationalsignal to be generated are modulated with a modulation signal (otherthan the IR carrier signal), then the M-ON value indicates the length oftime (in 0.5 microsecond increments) that the modulation signal is adigital high during a first part of a period of the modulation signal,whereas the M-OFF value indicates the length of time (in 0.5 microsecondincrements) that the modulation signal is a digital low during a secondpart of that one period of the modulation signal.

The bottom row of mark/space table 20 contains a list of up to eightspace times. These space times are designated SPACE TIME #0 throughSPACE TIME #7 in the diagram. Each space time value is a sixteen bitvalue. The count increment of a space time is two microseconds. Not allof the space time locations in the table must be filled. If there isonly one space time, then this value is placed in the SPACE TIME #0location. If there are two space times, then the two values are placedin the SPACE TIME #0 and SPACE TIME #1 locations, and so forth.

The string of timing information 21 is a sequence of eight bit values.Such a string can be long or short. In the illustrated example, eacheight-bit value (a byte) is either a mark/space pair byte or a controlbyte.

FIG. 3 illustrates the significance of each bit of a mark/space pairbyte. The first bit is a designator bit. The designator bit of the bytebeing a zero indicates that the byte is a mark/space pair. Bits M2, Mland M0 are a three-bit index that points to one of the mark times inmark/space table 20. Similarly, bits S2, Sl and S0 are a three-bit indexthat points to one of the space times in mark/space table 20. Forexample, if S2=0, S1=1 and S0=0, then the three-bit index points toSPACE TIME #2.

FIG. 4 illustrates the significance of each bit of a control byte. Thefirst designator bit of the byte being a “1” indicates that the byte isa control byte. If the REP bit is a “1”, then the control byte marks theend of a repeat frame. The number of times the repeat frame is to berepeated is indicated by a three-bit repeat number composed of bits R2,R1 and R0. If the end-of-frame bit (EOF) is set, then the byte marks theend of a frame. If the end-of-transmission bit (EOT) is set, then thebyte marks the end of the string of timing information.

Mark/space table 20 together with string of timing information 21 is aparticularly compact way of storing the information used to generateoperational signal 13. The number of bits used to describe each marktime and space time in string of timing information 21 can be reduced toa small number, in this case three bits, that distinguishes from among alimited number of entries in mark/space table 20. Each of those entriescan in turn describe a mark time or a space time with the accuracy ofmore bits, in this case sixteen bits. If a mark time in a string oftiming information were to be described with a large number of bits, thelarge number of bits would be used each time the particular mark occursin the operational signal. The same applies for a space time describedby a large number of bits. Where a mark or a space occurs many times inan operational signal, a first string of timing information thatdescribes the operational signal without referring to a mark/space tablewill consist of more bits than the combined number of bits in amark/space table and a second string of timing information that refersto the table.

IR Transmission Engine

IR transmission engine 5 uses the information in mark/space table 20 andthe string of timing information 21 to generate an operational signal asfollows. The timing engine first reads the modulation information MODINFO stored in the mark/space table 20. If the bits in the operationalsignal are to be modulated, then the M-ON and M-OFF values stored thereare non-zero. The M-ON value indicates the length of time, in 0.5microsecond increments, that the modulation signal is a digital high ina first part of a period of the modulation signal, whereas the M-OFFvalue indicates the length of time, in 0.5 microsecond increments, thatthe modulation signal is a digital low in a second part of the period ofthe modulation signal. If both M-ON and M-OFF are 00 h, then there is nomodulation (i.e., the operational signal is a non-modulated basebandsignal type). It is an illegal condition to have one of the M-ON andM-OFF values as 00 h, and the other as a non-zero value.

After retrieving the MOD INFO bits, the IR transmission engine 5 readsthe first byte of the string of timing information. If the first byte isa mark/space pair byte, then the IR transmission engine 5 outputs adigital logic high signal for a length of time as indicated by the marktime pointed to by the mark portion of the mark/space pair. If the markportion of the mark/space pair is the value “111”, then the mark timepointed to is the mark time pointed to by the previous mark/space pairin the string of timing information.

After outputting the digital logic high signal, then IR transmissionengine 5 outputs a digital logic low signal for a length of time asindicated by the space time pointed to by the space portion of themark/space pair. In this way the IR transmission engine 5 goes throughthe bytes in the string of timing information 21 generating digitallogic high and digital logic low times.

If IR transmission engine 5 reads a control byte in the string of timinginformation 21, then actions are taken as indicated by the bits in thecontrol byte. If, for example, a control byte is read whose repeat bitREP is set, then the IR transmission engine 5 outputs high and lowsignals as dictated by the mark/space pair bytes in the prior repeatframe. The prior repeat frame is ended by the control byte. The priorrepeat frame starts either at the beginning of the string of timinginformation, or at the immediately preceding control byte whose REP bitis set. (A repeat frame ends with a control byte whose REP bit is set,but if the REP bit is set then the EOF bit is not set. Even though theEOF bit is not set, the repeat control byte designates an end of frame.)

IR transmission engine 5 repeats the preceding repeat frame a number oftimes indicated by the three-bit repeat number R2, R1 and R0. A repeatnumber of 000 indicates an “infinite” repeat count. An infinite repeatmeans that the prior frame will repeat and continue to repeat until thekey that initiated the transmission is detected to have been released(e.g., the key is no longer being pressed) as reported by key scanningfunctionality 4.

If the EOF bit is set, then the end of frame is indicated. This could bethe end of a non-repeat frame at the start of a transmission, or couldbe used in conjunction with the EOT bit to designate the end of thetransmission.

If the EOT bit is set, then an end of transmission is indicated. The EOTbit is only used to designate the end of the last frame.

IR transmission engine 5 continues reading mark/space pair bytes andcontrol bytes in the string of timing information 21 until the EOTcontrol byte is encountered, or until an infinite repeat count isterminated by an external source such as the release of a key. IRtransmission engine 5 then stops outputting the operational signal.

IR Operational Signal

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a waveform 50 of an operational signal,as well as a mark/space table 51 and a string of timing information 52used to generate the operational signal. Each portion of waveform 50where the signal value is a digital high is referred to as a mark. Eachportion of the waveform 50 where the signal value is a digital low isreferred to as a space. A value indicative of the time duration of eachmark is placed in the mark/space table. In the example of FIG. 5, somemarks are longer than other marks, and there are only two mark times.The mark/space table therefore contains two mark times: 0562 and 10B4.In the example of FIG. 5, there are spaces of three different timedurations. Accordingly, three space times are placed in the mark/spacetable: 0562, 10B4, 4000.

IR transmission engine 5 receives a mark/space pair and outputs the markfirst, and then a space as indicated by the following space time.Accordingly, the first mark/space pair corresponds to the initial markand the following space designated by reference numeral 53 in FIG. 5.The mark to be output is found in MARK TIME #0. The following space timeis found in SPACE TIME #0. Accordingly, the first mark/space pair in thestring of timing information 52 is 00.

Similarly, the next mark and next space to be generated are identical tothe initial mark and space. Accordingly, the second mark/space pair inthe string of timing information 52 is also 00.

As can be seen from the waveform of FIG. 5, the next mark to be outputis longer than the initial two marks. Its duration is identified by theMARK TIME #1. The next space to be output is also of this duration, andits duration is identified by the SPACE TIME #1. Accordingly, the thirdmark/space pair of the string of timing information 52 is 11.

The mark/space pairs in the string of timing information 52 continues inthis way. The last mark/space pair is 02. SPACE TIME #2 corresponds tothe relatively long space time labeled “frame delay” in FIG. 5. If thiswere the last space time of the operational signal to be generated, thenthe next byte in the string of timing information would be a controlbyte whose EOT bit is set to indicate the end of transmission.

The waveform of FIG. 5, however, is to repeat the frame labeled “repeatframe” in the waveform diagram. This repeating is to continue until thekey that initiated the transmission is released. The repeat frame beginswith the first 00 mark/space pair and ends with the 02 mark/space pair.A control byte of C2 is therefore placed after the 02 mark/space pair.In this control byte, the first bit is a one to designate the byte as acontrol byte. The second bit (the REP bit) is set to designate that theframe immediately preceding the control byte is to be repeated. Thesubsequent three repeat bits (the R2, R1 and R0 bits) are 000 toindicate that the prior frame is to be repeated an infinite number oftimes as long as the key remains pressed. The EOF bit is set todesignate the end of the prior frame. The EOT bit is not set because therepeat frame must be completed for the required number of repeats beforethe end of the signal can be declared. The control byte is therefore C2.

When IR transmission engine 5 receives this control byte, it returns tothe beginning of the prior frame in the string of timing information 52.The prior frame is either bounded by the immediately preceding controlbyte whose EOF is set, or if there is no such control byte then by thestarting mark/space pair of the string of timing information. In theexample of FIG. 5, the prior frame is bounded by the start of the stringof timing information 52. IR transmission engine 5 therefore returns tothe first mark/space pair of 00 and begins the process again. The IRtransmission engine generates the marks and spaces of the IR operationalsignal 13 (see FIG. 1) in this fashion using the bytes in the string oftiming information 52 as instructions until the key is released.

The last control byte is 83, indicating the end of frame as the end oftransmission.

Downloading of a Codeset Script

The interpreting of script 10 outputs marks and spaces and otherinformation to level one builder 3. The level one builder 3 loads thevalues into a mark/space table 51 and in the string of timinginformation 52. After the mark/space table and the string of timinginformation are generated, a script instruction SEND is interpreted,which starts IR transmission engine 5 operating on the contents of themark/space table and string of timing information. IR transmissionengine 5 causes IR operational signal 50 of FIG. 5 to be output from IRtransmitter 12 of remote control device 1.

FIGS. 6-10 set forth script 10. FIG. 12 is a diagram that shows theglobal registers 9. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the opcodes of theinstructions of the script language of script 10.

In the present example, remote control device 1 initially does not havethe ability to output codes for a particular codeset, the “RC5 codeset”,but it is desired that remote control device 1 have that functionality.Loader 7 and IR receiver functionality 6 are used to read in a portionof script via IR receiver 15. Once loaded into memory on remote controldevice 10, this loaded portion of script along with script previouslyloaded (which together constitute script 10) are interpreted such thatwhen a user presses a key on remote control device 1, a key code of theRC5 codeset is output in the form of an IR operational signal out of IRtransmitter 12.

When script interpretation starts, it automatically starts at the labelRESET (600). The label RESET is the first line at the top of FIG. 6. Alabel, like this label RESET, represents a sixteen bit address. Thislabel can be pointed to by a pointer elsewhere in the script. Forexample, when batteries are initially put into remote control device 1,script interpretation starts at label RESET.

Next (601), a call of the auxiliary 0 [AUX(0)] routine is made. AUX(0)causes key scanning functionality 4 to perform a key scan. The AUX(0)instruction is code that was originally written at the assembly codelevel. A starting address lookup table AUX_TABLE (see FIG. 7) stores thelocation in memory where the associated subroutine code for each AUXinstruction is located. Calling an AUX instruction causes this AUX TABLEto be consulted, and the starting address for the auxiliary routineidentified by the number in the parentheses to be called. Initially, atthe time AUX(0) is called in the present example, there is only one AUXinstruction provided in the AUX_TABLE. The AUX(2) starting address ofline 729 is not yet loaded into the AUX_TABLE. The only starting addressin the AUX TABLE is the starting address of AUX(0) of line 727.

Returning to line 601, AUX(0) is called. Calling AUX(0) causes keyscanning functionality 4 to scan the keys on the key matrix of remotecontrol device 1. After performing the key scan, key scanningfunctionality 4 writes a number into the ADR0 register that indicatesthe number of keys that are detected to be pressed. This value is avalue from zero to three. Key scanning functionality 4 also writes keymatrix coordinates for up to three keys into ADR1, ADR2, ADR3. Eachcoordinate includes a four-bit value that identifies the row in thematrix where the key is located, and a four-bit value that identifiesthe column in the matrix where the key is located.

In the present example, the user presses the LOAD key 17 (see FIG. 1)and without releasing the LOAD key then presses the “2” digit key sothat both the LOAD key and the “2” key are simultaneously pressed. Theuser does this to initiate the loading of the RC5-generating script. TheRC5-generating script is to be loaded into remote control device 1 andis then to be referred to as the AUX(2) instruction.

Accordingly, when the LOAD key is initially pressed, there is one keypressed. A “0001” is therefore written into ADR0. The four-bit rownumber (R) of the LOAD key is “7” and the four-bit column number (C) ofthe LOAD key is “1”. The value “71” (RC) is therefore written into ADR1.The contents of ADR2 and ADR3 are “don't cares” because only one key isdetected as having been pressed.

Next (602), a case instruction is used to test the contents of ADR0. Asindicated by the byte <#03> following the CASE statement, there arethree possibilities. If the value in ADR0 is “0000”, then scriptinterpretation returns (603) to the RESET label (600). The reset labelis identified by the <#RESET_H> and <#RESET_L> bytes. This return occursbecause no key was detected to have been pressed.

If the value in ADR0 is “0001”, then script interpretation proceeds(604) to the SEND_CODE label (607). This occurs because one key wasdetected to have been pressed.

If the value in ADR0 is “0002”, then script interpretation proceeds(605) to the SET_CDSET label (700). This occurs because two keys werepressed simultaneously. This situation would occur, for example, if theuser of the remote control device were to simultaneously press thePROGRAM key 18 and another key. Holding the PROGRAM key 18 down whilepressing a digit key causes the remote control device to start using adifferent codeset as determined by the digit key pressed.

If ADR0 is none of “0000”, “0001”, “0002”, then the situation is treatedas an error condition (606) and script interpretation returns to theRESET label (600).

In the present example, only the LOAD key is pressed at this time.Script interpretation therefore proceeds to the SEND_CODE label (607).The upper and lower nibble values in ADR1, which indicate the row andcolumn key matrix coordinates of the key pressed, are compared (608)using the CP8(1) script instruction to the row and column key matrixvalues for the PROGRAM key. If there is a match, the FLAG bit is set,otherwise the FLAG bit is reset.

Next (609), according to the IFNF(1) instruction, if the FLAG is not set(i.e., the PROGRAM key was not pressed), then the number of instructionsin the parentheses is jumped. If FLAG is set (i.e., the PROGRAM key waspressed), then the next line (610) will not be skipped, and scriptinterpretation will jump due to the jump direct JP(D) instruction. Thejump direct instruction causes script interpretation to jump to thelocation identified by the two bytes following the JP(D). In line 610,the following bytes are <#RESET_H> and <#RESET_L>. These two bytes arethe address of the label RESET (600). Accordingly, if the PROGRAM keyhad been pressed, then processing returns to RESET where the key scanfunction will be repeated to determine the other key that is pressedafter the PROGRAM key.

In the example being explained, the PROGRAM key was not pressed and theFLAG bit was not set. Script interpretation therefore skips line 610.

Next (611), the contents of ADR1 is compared with the row and columncoordinates for the LOAD key 17. The row and column coordinates arefound in the key table in line 639. In the present example, the LOAD keywas pressed. The FLAG is therefore set.

Next (612) the if-not-flag script instruction IFNF causes the next line(613) to be jumped if FLAG is not set. Because FLAG is set, however,processing proceeds to line 613. Processing jumps due to the jumpinstruction (613) to the LOAD_CODE label (1100). The LOAD_CODEsubroutine is shown in FIG. 11.

Next (1101), AUX(0) causes another key scanning operation to occur.

Next (1102), the value in ADR0 is compared with zero to check whether nokeys are pressed. This compare is done to make sure that the LOAD keywas not released without the pressing of another key. If the LOAD key isreleased without the pressing of another key, then an error conditionhas occurred and processing should return to RESET. Accordingly, if theFLAG bit is not set (1103), then the next instruction which is a jumpback to RESET is jumped. Otherwise, the jump instruction of line 1104 isjumped.

Next (1105), the value in ADR0 is compared with the number two to checkwhether two keys have been simultaneously pressed. If two keys were notpressed, then the FLAG bit is not set and the instruction of line 1107is interpreted. The instruction is a jump instruction back to theLOAD_CODE label which causes the loop to repeat. If, on the other hand,two keys are detected to have been pressed, then the FLAG bit is set andline 1107 is jumped.

Next (1108), the contents of ADR1 is compared with the key coordinatesof the LOAD key. If the compare is true, then one of the keys pressed isthe LOAD key and the jump back (1110) to RESET instruction of the nextline is jumped. Otherwise, an error condition has occurred and line 1110causes a jump back to the RESET label.

Next (1111), the key coordinates for the second key pressed (in thisexample, the “2” digit key) is moved from ADR2 to ADR0. The keycoordinates for the second key is then looked up in a KEY_TABLE. TheKEY_TABLE is shown in lines 627-640 of FIG. 6. The LOOK8 instructionfinds the key coordinates for the second key (the “2” key) in the leftcolumn at line 630. The row and column coordinates for the “2” key are“5” and “2”. The row-column value <#52> is found in the left column ofthe table in line 630. The LOOK8 instruction therefore returns the <#02>in the second column of line 630, and this value put into ADR1. This“02” from the right column of the table is the offset where the key datafor the “02” is found after the beginning of the block of key data forall the keys.

Next (1113), the offset of the POWER key is subtracted from the returnedoffset value. If the result is less than zero, then the offset value isthe offset value for a digit key. This is because the offset value forthe POWER key is one greater than all the offset values for the digitkeys (see the KEY_TABLE). If the value returned from the LESS8instruction of line 1113 is not less than zero, then second key pressedwas not a digit key. Pressing LOAD and a key other than a digit key isan error condition. Line 1115 therefore causes processing to return toRESET. In the present example, however, the first key pressed is theLOAD key and the second key pressed is the “2” key. Line 1115 istherefore jumped.

Next (1116), the offset value of “6” is moved into ADR0 by the SWP(0,1)instruction. The offset value of “6” is then pushed (1116) onto thestack to save it.

Next (1118), the load script auxiliary instruction LDSAUX is called.LDSAUX causes IR receiver functionality 6 and loader 7 to receive theRC5 codeset script from an external device. The RC5 codeset script isreceived into IR receiver 15 of the remote control device 1. Loader 7keeps track of the free memory available on remote control device 1 andmaintains the AUX_TABLE (see FIG. 7) that contains the startingaddresses of each AUX instruction. Interpreting of the LDSAUXinstruction causes loader 7 to load the RC5 codeset script into memoryand then to store the starting address (where the RC5 codeset script wasstored) into the next available entry in AUX_TABLE. In the presentexample, the RC5 codeset script is to be AUX(2), where there are twoprevious AUX instructions, AUX(0) and AUX(1), in AUX_TABLE. Accordingly,the starting address <#RC5_CDSET> of the RC5 codeset script is loadedinto line 729 of the AUX_TABLE.

In the present example, a 16-bit NEC bidirectional protocol is used toreceive the RC5 codeset script onto remote control device 1 from theexternal device (not shown). A transmission in accordance with theprotocol involves sixteen bits of data, followed by sixteen bits ofinverted data. To initiate communication, the following four byteinitiation transmission <LEN> <LDSAUX> <#02> <CRC> is sent out of IRtransmitter 12. The first byte <LEN> indicates the number of bytes ofpayload in the initiation transmission. The last byte <CRC> is a CRCcheck number used to check the integrity of the payload. Loader 7 usesIR transmission engine 5 to make this transmission. The <LDSAUX> byte isa predetermined bit sequence that is known to the external device fromwhich the RC5 codeset script is to be downloaded.

The initiation transmission alerts the external device that remotecontrol device 1 is ready to receive the AUX(2) script code. Theexternal device responds by transmitting the RC5 codeset script back toremote control device 1 in the form of a series of packets. The packetsare communicated in the form of IR signal 14 to IR receiver 15 inaccordance with the NEC bidirectional protocol. Each packet is of theform <LEN> <PKT> <TPKT> <D0> <Dl> . . . <CRC>. The first byte <LEN>indicates the number of bytes of payload in the current packet. Thesecond byte <PKT> is a sequence number of the packet. The third byte<TPKT> is the total number of packets in the communication. The <DN>bytes are the payload of the packet. The last byte is a CRC check numberused to check the integrity of the payload.

Once the first packet of the packet sequence is successfully receivedonto remote control device 1, then remote control device 1 signalssuccessful receipt by sending the external device back a confirmationcommunication of the form <LEN> <OK> <PKT> <CRC>. The byte <LEN> is thelength of the payload of the confirmation communication. The byte <OK>is an indication of a successful communication. The byte <PKT> is thesequence number of the last packet that was successfully received.

If the first packet is not successfully received onto remote controldevice 1, then remote control device 1 sends the external device back anerror communication of the form <LEN> <ERROR> <PKT> <CRC>. The byte<LEN> is the length of the payload of the error communication. The byte<ERROR> is an indication of a successful communication. The byte <PKT>is the sequence number of the last packet that was successfullyreceived. The external device can then resend the first packet until itis successfully received by remote control device 1.

When the first packet of the sequence is successfully received ontoremote control device 1, then the second packet is sent from theexternal device to the remote control device. In this way, the script issent from the external device to the remote control device in amulti-packet communication.

Loader 7 in concert with IR receiver functionality 6 receives all thepackets, and places the composite payload into a block of free memory,and then loads the starting address of the block of memory into theAUX_TABLE as set forth above. Interpretation of script interpreter 11 ishalted during operation of the LDSAUX instruction of line 1118.

Once the LDSAUX instruction (1118) completes, the stack is popped (1119)to retrieve the key offset of the second key pressed (in the presentexample, the “2” key) into ADR0. An index to the starting address of theRC5 codeset script just downloaded is to be placed at the end of theindexes of codesets already in the CODE_TABLE. CODE_TABLE is illustratedin FIG. 7. Note that there are codeset scripts already loaded. Each ofthese codeset scripts is represented by a line entry 715-720 inCODE_TABLE. The first byte of a line entry is a byte indicating the AUXnumber. The second and third bytes are a label that points to the startof the codeset script in memory. To place the newly downloaded codesetscript at the end of the already loaded codeset scripts, the value four<#04> is added (1120) to the key offset of the digit key (“02” in thiscase) present in ADR0, and the result is placed by the ADD instructioninto ADR0. ADR0 therefore contains the value six in this example. Thisis an index for the line 721 in CODE_TABLE for the entry after the lastused entry.

Next (1121), the LOOK16 instruction is used to look up the entry inCODE_TABLE that has a “6” in its left most column. This entry is line721. The LOOK16 returns the starting address represented by the secondand third bytes of the entry. The result returned is the label<#CODESET6_H> <#CODESET6_L>. This label <#CODESET6_H> <#CODESET6_L> isreturned into ADR1.

This label is placed by the swap SWP instruction (1122) into ADR3, andis then moved into the STORE0 storage location by the STORE(0)instruction (1123). Once the CODESET6 label for the newly added codesetis stored, processing returns by virtue of the jump direct instruction(1124) to the label RESET.

The downloaded RC5_CDSET generating script is now present in remotecontrol device 1 and is ready for use as the AUX(2) instruction.

Selection of a Codeset Script

The downloaded RC5_CDSET generating script can then be selected to bethe codeset script used by pressing the PROGRAM key 18 and the “2” key.After processing returns to RESET, the AUX(0) instruction is performed(601) which causes a key scan to be performed. If the PROGRAM key 18 andthe “2” key are both pressed, then the value “2” will be present in ADR0to indicate two keys are pressed, the row and column coordinates for thePROGRAM key will be present in ADR1 and the row and column coordinatesfor the “2” key will be present in ADR2. Because ADR0 contains “2”, thecompare of line 605 is true and processing proceeds to the SET_CDSETlabel (700).

Next (701), the key coordinates in ADR1 are compared with the keycoordinates of the PROGRAM_KEY and the FLAG bit is set if there is amatch. If the key coordinates indeed indicate the PROGRAM key waspressed, then line 703 is jumped. If, on the other hand, neither of thekeys was the PROGRAM_KEY, then the pressing of two keys was an illegalsituation, the compare operation of line 701 does not set FLAG, and line703 is interpreted causing a return to the label RESET.

If the PROGRAM key was pressed, then the key coordinates for the secondkey are moved into ADR0 by operation of the swap instruction of line704. The key coordinates of the second key pressed in ADR0 are then usedto lookup the key offset in KEY_TABLE (see FIG. 6). In the presentexample, the key offset returned is the offset for the “2” key.

Next (706), a check is made to make sure that the key was a digit key.To do this, the key offset for the POWER_KEY is subtracted from the keyoffset looked up in the KEY_TABLE for the second key pressed. If theresult is less than zero, then the second key pressed was a digit andFLAG is set. If FLAG is set, then line 708 is jumped and processingproceeds to line 709. If FLAG is not set, then line 708 is not jumped,an error condition is detected, and operation proceeds to RESET.

Next (709), the key coordinates for the second key pressed in ADR2 areused as an index into CODE_TABLE to lookup the starting address of theAUX(2) (RC5_CDSET) script. The starting address <#CODESET6_H><#CODESET6_L> is returned into ADR0.

Next (710), the starting address <#CODESET6_H> <#CODESET6_L> in ADR0 ismoved into ADR3. The STORE(0) instruction (711) is then used to move thestarting address of the selected codeset into STORE0. Processing thenreturns (712) to RESET.

The downloaded RC5_CDSET generating script has now been selected to bethe codeset script used.

Pressing a Key to Output an Operational Signal

Once the RC5_CDSET script is loaded onto remote control device 1 and thestarting address of the RC5_CDSET script is present in STORE0, theRC5_CDSET script can be used to generate operational signals. Considerthe situation in which the “5” key is pressed.

Script operation continuously loops between the RESET label (600) andthe return to RESET (606), each time performing the AUX0 instruction.When the “5” key is pressed, the number one is returned into ADR0 toindicate that only one key was pressed. The row and column keycoordinates of the “5” key are returned into ADR1. Accordingly, the CASEinstruction of line 602 results in a match at line 604 and processingproceeds to the SEND_CODE label (607).

The key coordinates in ADR1 are compared (608) with the coordinates ofthe PROGRAM key 18. Because the key pressed was not the PROGRAM key,line 610 is jumped. The key coordinates in ADR1 are then compared (611)with the coordinates of the LOAD key 17. Because the key pressed was notthe LOAD key, line 613 is jumped. If the key pressed had been either thePROGRAM key or the LOAD key, processing would have jumped back to RESET.

Next (614) the swap instruction SWP(0,1) causes the value in ADR0 to beswapped with the value in ADR1. This moves the key scan coordinates intoADR0. The key scan coordinates for the “5” digit key are “53”.

Next (615), the LOOK(8) instruction causes the value in ADR0 to be usedas an index to look up the key offset for the “5” key in KEY_TABLE. Ifthe value in ADR0 is found in the left column of the table, then theLOOK instruction returns the value in the same row but in the rightcolumn. The value is returned into ADR1. In the present example, thevalue “53” in ADR0 is found in line 633 of KEY_TABLE, and the LOOKinstruction returns into ADR1 the offset value “05” from the rightcolumn of line 633. This “05” value is the key offset value for the keyidentified by the KEY_TABLE row-column coordinates <#53> found in theleft column at line 633.

Next (616), the set key instruction SETK(1) loads the value in ARD1 intothe key register KEY. Accordingly, the key offset of “05” is placed intoglobal register KEY.

Next (617), the RTRV(0) instruction retrieves the value in STORE0 andplaces it into ADR3. Recall that the starting address of the RC5_CDSETscript was placed into STORE0 at line 712 in the set codeset SET_CDSETsubroutine. The starting address of the RC5_CDSET is therefore presentin ADR3.

Now that the key offset value “05” is present in KEY, and now that thestarting address of the RC5_CSET script is in ADR3, the CLRU(3)instruction is called (618) to execute the RC5_CDSET script. The RC5codeset script then builds a level one script.

Operation of the RC5 Codeset Script

The RC5_CDSET script that was downloaded into remote control device 1 isset forth in FIGS. 8-10. Operation of the RC5_CDSET script is asfollows.

First (801), a pointer to the system bits is loaded into ADR1. The twobytes <#RC5_SYS_H> and <#RC5_SYS_L> following the LD(l) byte togetherform a sixteen-bit pointer to the RC5_SYS label where the system code isfound. The <D4h> byte identified by line 806 contains the extend bit (a“1” in this example), six system code bits (“10101” in this example),and two trailing zeros.

Next (802), a pointer to the byte where the six-bit key code starts isloaded into ADR2. The six-bit key code is being loaded into ADR2 forfuture use. The pointer is determined as follows. The two bytesfollowing the LDK(2) instruction together form a sixteen-bit pointer<#RC5_DAT_H> and <#RC5_DAT_L>. This pointer points to the byte where thevarious key code data values for each of the various keys of the remotecontrol are stored. Following these #RC5_DAT pointer bytes is anotherbyte <#06> which contains the number N of bits in each key data codevalue. In the present example there are six bits in each key data codevalue, so N is the value “06 h”. Interpretation of the LDK(2)instruction multiplies six by the key offset value KEY. The result is anumber of bits. This number of bits is divided by the number of bits ina byte to obtain a byte offset number. The 8-bit byte offset number isplaced into OBYT. The remainder of the division is an 8-bit number ofbits that marks the beginning of the key code data within the byteidentified by the sum of <#RC5_DAT_H>, <#RC5_DAT_L>and OBYT. This 8-bitremainder is placed into OBIT. The sum of <#RC5_DAT_H>, <#RC5_DAT_L> andOBYT is placed into the virtual address identified by the number in theparenthesis. Accordingly, the values <#RC5_DAT_H>, <#RC5_DAT_L>, OBYTand OBIT together point to the first bit of the six-bit key code datavalue for the particular key pressed.

Next (803), the RC5 function (see FIG. 10) is called by the CALDUinstruction. CALDU is a call direct uncounted function call to thefunction identified by the label in the following bytes. In the presentexample, the following bytes are <#RC5_H> and <#RC5_L> so interpretationof script 11 proceeds to line 1000 of FIG. 10.

Next (1001), the SETMOD instruction causes the M-ON and M-OFF values tobe loaded into the appropriate places in the mark/space table of FIG. 2.

Next (1002), a half-bit time is loaded into ADR0. The RC5 codeset is aManchester encoded codeset. The half bit time that a Manchester encodedbit is high is loaded from <#HALF_BIT_TIME_H> into the upper eight bitsof ADR0 and the half bit time that a Manchester encoded bit is low isloaded from <#HALF_BIT_TIME_L> into the lower eight bits of ADR0. Thehalf bit times are in increments of two micro seconds.

Next (1003), a pointer to the Manchester function is loaded into ADR3.The Manchester function is set forth in FIG. 9.

Next (1004), the CLRC(3) (4) instruction is interpreted. CLRC(3)(4) is a“call relative counted” (CLRC) function call to the function identifiedby the label in ADR3, and script interpretation returns afterinterpretation of the number of instructions in the followingparentheses (four, in this example). Because the label of the Manchesterfunction was previously loaded into ADR3, the CLRC(3)(4) instructionjumps to the Manchester function of FIG. 9. The Manchester function is ablock of script that writes the mark times and space times correspondingto digital ones and digital zeros into locations in register ADR0. Fourinstructions of this Manchester function are then interpreted.

Next (901), LDBITI(1) causes the first bit of the system code to beloaded into BIT. The LDBITI instruction is an increment load instructionin that after the FLAG bit is loaded, the values OBYT and OBIT areincremented so that the next time the LDBIT instruction is interpretedit will load the next bit into the FLAG bit. LDBITI is therefore amechanism for loading the FLAG bit with consecutive bits.

In the case of line 901, ADR1 was loaded in line 801 with a pointer tothe start of the five-bit system code bits. The six system code bits ofthe system code byte include an extend bit (a “1” in this example), andfive system code bits (“10101” in this example). The last two bits ofthe system code byte are zeros. The system code byte is therefore D4h asindicated by line 806. Accordingly, the first bit (the extend bit) thatis loaded into the FLAG bit by line 901 is a one.

Next (903), the second instruction of the Manchester function isinterpreted. If the value of the FLAG bit is true (i.e., one), then jumpthe number of instructions identified in the parenthesis, otherwiseproceed to the next instruction. In Manchester encoding, a one isencoded as a low-to-high transition in the middle of a bit time. A zerois encoded as a high-to-low transition in the middle of a bit time. Iflines 904 and 905 are interpreted in order, then a write mark is outputby interpretation of line 904 before a write space is output byinterpretation of line 905. This results in the outputting of aManchester encoded zero. If, on the other hand, lines 907 and 908 areinterpreted in order, then a write space is output by interpretation ofline 907 before a write mark is output by interpretation of line 908.This results in the outputting of a Manchester encoded one.

In this example, the flag bit FLAG is a one (due to line 901 and theextend bit being a one). The next two instructions (instructions 904 and905) are therefore jumped, and the next instruction to be executed isline 907.

Next (907), the write space instruction WRS(0) of line 907 isinterpreted. This causes a space of time indicated by the number in ADR0to be output by script 10.

Next (908), the write mark instruction WRM(0) of line 908 isinterpreted. This causes a mark of time indicated by the number in ADR0to be output by script 10. The value in ADR0 is the half-bit time asindicated by line 1002. It is therefore seen that lines 907 and 908result in the output of a Manchester encoded one bit. The instruction ofline 908 is the fourth instruction interpreted after the function callof line 1004. Script interpretation therefore returns to line 1005.

In some protocols, a toggle bit is included. The value of the toggle bitis toggled from key code transmission to key code transmission. Thetoggle bit does not change from repeat frame to repeat frame during thetime a single key is held down, but rather toggles upon each successivepressing of the key. To support protocols using a toggle bit, a virtualtoggle counter is supported. Each time a key is pressed, the eight-bittoggle counter value TOGGLE increments. The RC5 protocol is a protocolthat uses a toggle bit.

Next (1005), the IFNMT(1) instruction applies the mask in the firstfollowing byte <01 h> to the toggle count TOGGLE. If the result is true,then the number of lines indicated in the parentheses is jumped. Becausethe toggle register TOGGLE increments upon the pressing of a key,applying the <01 h> mask to TOGGLE results in an alternatingone-instruction jump or not, from key press to key press.

In the first interpretation of IFNMT, the toggle counter value is 00 h.The masking therefore does not result in a jumping of instructions.

Next (1006), the SFLG instruction causes the flag bit FLAG to be set.

Next (1007), the reset flag instruction (1008) is jumped so that thenext instruction to be interpreted will be the function call of line1009.

Next (1009), a function call “direct counted” is made to write thetoggle bit. This is done by calling the MANCH_TOG function, executingthree instructions, and then returning. Because the FLAG bit is set dueto interpretation of line 1006, the lines 907 and 908 are interpreted,thereby resulting in the outputting of a Manchester-encoded one.

When the WRS instruction and WRM instructions are interpreted, asequence of mark time values and space time values is generated. It maybe the case, for example, that consecutive mark time values aregenerated. It may also be the case that consecutive space time valuesare generated. If two consecutive mark time values are output, theoperational signal to be generated will have a mark time equal to thesum of the two consecutive mark time values because the operationalsignal will remain at the digital high value throughout the entire timeperiod of the two mark times. The appropriate value to write into themark table is therefore a single mark time whose time duration is thesum of the two consecutive mark time values. The level one builder 3therefore only writes to the mark/space table and the string of timinginformation when interpretation of script 8 results in a change in theoperational signal. If, for example, two consecutive mark time valueswere output, followed by a space time value. In this case, the twoconsecutive mark time values would be added together by level onebuilder 3 to obtain a sum. The mark/space table would then be examinedto see if this sum is present. If it is, then the sum need not be addedto the mark/space table again. Rather, the mark nibble to the nextmark/space pair is written to be a pointer that points to the sum valuein the mark/space table. If, on the other hand, the sum value is not inthe mark/space table, then the level one builder 3 writes the sum valueinto the mark/space table. The mark nibble to the next mark/space pairis written to be a pointer to the newly added mark time. When a marktime nibble and a space time nibble are generated in this fashion, thepair of values is written into the string of timing information to be amark/space pair value.

In the interpretation of script 10, interpretation returns to line 1010.The loop instruction LOOP(5) causes interpretation to proceed to thenext endloop instruction <ENDLP>, and then to loop back to the loopinstruction the number of times indicated in the parentheses.Accordingly, the function call CLRC(3)(4) is called five times, once foreach of the five system bits following the extend bit. As explainedabove, the (3) means that the call is to the label stored in ADR3. Thevalue <#MANCH_H> and <#MANCH_L> was stored into ADR3 in line 1003.Accordingly, each interpretation of line 1011 causes a function call toline 900 (see FIG. 9). On each such call, the LDBITI instruction of line901 loads the next bit of the system code into the flag bit FLAG. Thefollowing MANCH_TOG portion of script then outputs either a mark andthen a space or a space and then a mark, depending on the value of thebit of system code.

Next (1013), the swap instruction SWP(1,2) is interpreted. The contentsof the registers ADR1 and ADR2 are swapped. Because ADR2 contains avalue that points to the beginning of the key code data due to the priorinterpretation of line 802, a value that points to the start of the keycode data is loaded into ADR1. By changing the value in ADR1 from apointer that points to the beginning of the system code data to apointer that points to the beginning of the key code data, subsequentinterpretation of the function MANCH will result in generating marktimes and space times for the key code data bits.

Next (1014), the LOOP(6) instruction is executed to call the CLRC(3)(4)six times, thereby resulting in the output of mark and space times forthe six key code data bits “001101”.

Next (1017), the write space time direct instruction WRS(D) isinterpreted to output an inter-frame space delay. The inter-frame spacetime delay value is found in the next two bytes <#FRAME_SPACE_H><#FRAME_SPACE_L>. As explained above, if the preceding value output byinterpretation of the script had been a space time value, then therewould have been two consecutive space time values. The two space timevalues would have been summed, and the resulting value would have beenloaded into the space table if it was not already present in the spacetable. A pointer to the resulting space time value would then have beenadded to the string of timing information.

In the example of the waveform of FIG. 5, this is not the case. TheManchester bit preceding the frame delay space time was aManchester-encoded one. A Manchester one is a space time, followed by amark time.

As is evident from the waveform of FIG. 5, the entire frame consistingof the extend bit, the toggle bit, the five system code bits, the sixkey code data bits, and the frame delay space time is to be repeated.The next instruction (1018), is therefore the end of frame EORF(0)instruction. Interpretation of the end of repeat frame instruction EORFdoes not cause the script of FIG. 10 to loop, but rather causes theframe to be repeated in the string of timing information being built.The number in parentheses indicates the number of times to repeat. Ifthe number is zero, then the prior frame is to be repeated infinitelyuntil the key is released. In the example of the RC5 routine, thelooping is an infinite looping. The script interpreter 11 thereforeoutputs a control byte “C2” whose repeat bit REP is set, and whoserepeat number R2, R1, R0 is 000 to indicate an infinite repeat. The EOFbit is set, but the end of transmission bit EOT is not set. The controlbyte output is therefore “C2” and this control byte is added to thestring of timing information of FIG. 5.

Next (1019), the EOT instruction causes an end of transmission controlbyte “83” to be output.

Next (1020), the return instruction RET causes interpretation of thescript to return to the portion of script that called the RC5 function.Script interpretation therefore returns to line 804 (see FIG. 8). Line804 is the return RET instruction. Script interpretation thereforeproceeds to the section of script that called the RC5_CDSET function.Script interpretation therefore returns to the instruction following theCLRU(3) instruction of line 618 (see FIG. 6). This instruction is theSEND instruction which starts the IR transmission engine 5 operating onthe mark/space table and the string of timing information that were justbuilt. The result is the transmission of the RC5 IR operational signalfor the “5” key as illustrated in the waveform of FIG. 5.

Generation and Sending of the Operational Signal

Interpretation of SEND (line 619 of FIG. 6) causes the IR transmissionengine 5 to start working on the mark/space table and string of timinginformation, thereby causing the IR transmission engine 5 to begingenerating the IR operational signal 11. IR transmission engine 5 goesthrough the string of timing information, outputting the IR operationalsignal of the waveform of FIG. 5 up until the frame delay portion. Inthis example, IR transmission engine 5 is a subroutine executed by themicrocontroller of remote control device 1.

When the time of outputting the frame delay (see the waveform of FIG. 5)starts, a hardware timer is started to interrupt the microcontrollerwhen the frame delay has expired. The microcontroller then executesother code until interrupted.

In the present example, the frame of the waveform of FIG. 5 is to berepeated indefinitely until the key that causes the output of the IRtransmission (in this example, the “5” key) is released. To detect therelease of the key, processing continues to WAIT_KEY (620).

Next (621), AUX0 is called, thereby causing a key scan to be performed.If the number of keys detected is one, then the compare of line 623 willnot be true. The jump back (624) to the WAIT_KEY will occur, and theprocess will repeat as long as the same key is detected as beingpressed.

If the currently pressed key is released, however, then the number inADR0 will be zero. The compare of line 623 will be true, the jump ofline 624 will be jumped, and the STOP instruction (625) will beinterpreted. The STOP instruction causes IR transmission engine 5 tostop outputting the operational signal. The following jump instruction(626) returns script interpretation to the RESET label.

Other Examples

FIGS. 14-16 illustrate three examples of the mark/space tables andstrings of timing information used to generate operational signals.

Description of Script Instructions

<WMS(N)><BYTE1><BYTE2><BYTEN> . . . Writes a series of mark/space pairsinto the mark/space table. The number of mark/space pairs is denoted byN. The value N is a value from one to sixteen. The mark/space pairs arepresent in the bytes following the <WMS(N)>.

<SETMOD><#M-ON><#M-OFF> Writes the modulation values M-ON and M-OFF intothe appropriate place in the mark/space table.

<EOF> Outputs an end of frame control byte to the level one builder.

<EOT> Outputs an end of transmission control byte to the level onebuilder.

<STOP> Stops the IR transmission at the soonest point that maintains theintegrity of the signal along with any end of frame byte.

<SEND(U)> Starts transmitting the IR operational signal according to thelevel one script loaded into the string of timing information. The IRoperational signal is transmitted for an unlimited number of repeats.

<SEND(L)> Starts transmitting the IR operational signal according to thelevel one script loaded into the string of timing information. The IRoperational signal is transmitted for a limited number of repeats, whereL is the number of times to send the signal.

<ABORT> Aborts transmission of the IR operational signal at the soonestpossible chance regardless of signal integrity.

<IFSEND> Does the same as the <SEND> instruction if the flag is set.

<EORF(ADDR)> Outputs an end of repeat frame control byte into the stringof timing information. The number of repeats is N. If N is zero, theninfinite repeat.

<WRM(ADDR)> A mark time found in the register denoted by ADDR is outputto the level one builder for placement into the mark/space table.

<WRS(ADDR)> A space time found in the register denoted by ADDR is outputto the level one builder for placement into the mark/space table.

<POP(ADDR)> Pops the contents of the stack into the register denoted byADDR and the corresponding OFF register.

<INCTOG> Increments the TOGGLE register.

<WRM(D)><BYTE1><BYTE2> Outputs a mark time into the string of timinginformation. The sixteen bit time is given by the following two bytesBYTE1 and BYTE2.

<WRS(D)><BYTE1><BYTE2> Outputs a space time into the string of timinginformation. The sixteen bit time is given by the following two bytesBYTE1 and BYTE2.

<LD(ADDR)><BYTE1><BYTE2> Loads the register denoted by ADDR with thesixteen bit value given by the following two bytes BYTE1 and BYTE2.Clear the corresponding OFF register.

<LDO(ADDR)><BYTE1><BYTE2> Loads the register denoted by ADDR with thesixteen-bit value given by the following two bytes BYTE1 and BYTE2.

<PLD(ADDR)> Pushes the contents of the register denoted by ADDR onto thestack along with 00 h for OFF, and carry out a LD instruction.

<PLDO(ADDR)> Pushes the contents of the register denoted by ADDR ontothe stack along with 00 h for OFF, and carry out a LDO instruction.

<CLRU(ADDR)> “Call Relative Uncounted” instruction. Calls a scriptfunction relative uncounted. The address of the script function is foundin the register denoted by ADDR. Return on the RET instruction.

<CLRC(ADDR) (M)> “Call relative counted” instruction. Calls a scriptfunction relative counted. The address of the script function is foundin the register denoted by ADDR. Returns after M instructions.

<CLDC(ADDR)><BYTE1><BYTE2> “Call relative direct” instruction. Calls ascript starting at the address given in argument <BYTE1><BYTE2>. Returnon RET instruction.

<LDBT(ADDR)> Sets the FLAG bit if the ADDR and OFF point to a bit whichis zero. Otherwise, clears the FLAG bit.

<LDBITI(ADDR)> Sets the FLAG bit if the ADDR and OFF point to a bit thatis zero. Otherwise, clears the FLAG bit. Then increments the bit pointedto by ADDR and OFF.

<PSHB> Pushes the FLAG bit onto the bit stack.

<POPB> Pops the bit stack into the FLAG bit.

<SFLG> Sets the FLAG bit.

<RFLG> Clears the FLAG bit.

<CLDU><BYTE1><BYTE2> “Call direct uncounted” instruction. Calls thescript contained at the address denoted by <BYTE1><BYTE2>. Returns onthe RET instruction.

<ADD(ADDR)><BYTE1><BYTE2> Adds the sixteen-bit argument <BYTE1><BYTE2>to the contents of the register denoted by ADDR, and puts the resultinto the register ADDR.

<SUB(ADDR)> Subtracts the sixteen-bit argument <BYTE1><BYTE2> from thecontents of the register denoted by ADDR, and puts the result into theregister ADDR.

<LDK(ADDR)><BYTE1><BYTE2><BYTE3> Loads the register denoted by ADDR withthe first sixteen bits of the argument <BYTE1><BYTE2>. Loads thecorresponding OFF register by the last eight bits <BYTE3> of theargument multiplied by the value in the KEY register.

<SWP(ADDR1,ADDR2)> Swaps the contents of the register denoted by ADDR1and its corresponding OFF register with the contents of the registerdenoted by ADDR2 and its corresponding OFF register.

<RET> Returns from a CLDU or CLRU instruction.

<LOOP(N)> Loops through the instructions following the LOOP instructionuntil the ENDLP instruction is reached. The number of times to loop isindicated by N.

<ENDLP> This instruction marks the end of the LOOP instruction.

<LOOP(ADDR)> Loops through the instructions following the LOOPinstruction until the ENDLP instruction is reached. The number of timesto loop is found in the register denoted by ADDR.

<IFF(N)> If the FLAG bit is set, skips the next N instructions. If theFLAG bit is cleared, proceeds as normal.

<IFF(ADDR)> If the FLAG bit is set, skips the number of instructionsindicated by the number in the register ADDR. If the FLAG bit iscleared, proceeds as normal.

<LESS8(ADDR)><BYTE1> Compares the argument <BYTE1> with the lower eightbits of the value in the register ADDR. If the argument <BYTE1> is lessthan the lower eight bits of the value in the register ADDR, sets theFLAG bit; otherwise clears the FLAG bit.

<LESS16(ADDR)><BYTE1><BYTE2> Compares the argument <BYTE1><BYTE2> withthe sixteen bit value in the register ADDR. If the argument<BYTE1><BYTE2> is less than the sixteen bit value in the register ADDR,sets the FLAG bit; otherwise clears the FLAG bit.

<CP8(ADDR)><BYTE1> Compares the eight bit argument <BYTE1> with thelower byte of the register denoted by ADDR. If the two are equal, setsthe FLAG bit; otherwise clears the FLAG bit.

<CP16(ADDR)><BYTEl><BYTE2> Compares the sixteen-bit argument<BYTE1><BYTE2> with the sixteen-bit value in the register ADDR. If thetwo are equal, sets the FLAG bit; otherwise clears the FLAG bit.

<MSK(ADDR)><BYTE1><BYTE2> If the logical AND of the register denoted byADDR with the argument <BYTE1><BYTE2> is zero, clears the FLAG bit;otherwise sets the FLAG bit.

<CFLG> Complements the FLAG bit.

<SETK(ADDR)> Sets the KEY register with the contents of the lower byteof the register denoted by ADDR.

<LOOK8><BYTE1><BYTE2> Checks a table of entries, where each entry has afirst eight-bit value and a second eight bit value. The table starts atthe argument <BYTE1><BYTE2>. If the first entry in an entry matches thelower byte of the contents of ADR0, then the second value in the entryis returned ADR1.

<LOOK16><BYTEl><BYTE2> Checks a table of entries, where each entry has afirst eight-bit value and a second sixteen-bit value. The table startsat the argument <BYTE1><BYTE2>. If the first entry in an entry matchesthe lower byte of the contents of ADR0, then the second sixteen-bitvalue in the entry is returned ADR1.

<CASE8><BYTE> Checks the subsequent table for equality with the lowerbyte of ADR0. Each table entry includes a one-byte case condition,followed by a two-byte jump address. The value in the lower byte of ADR0is compared with each of the case conditions of the table. When a matchis found, the PC jumps to the address given by the two-byte jump addressof the entry. The number of entries in the table is given by <BYTE>.

<CASE16><BYTE> Checks the subsequent table for equality with thesixteen-bit value in ADR0. Each table entry includes a two-byte casecondition, followed by a two-byte jump address. The sixteen-bit value inADR0 is compared with each of the case conditions of the table. When amatch is found, the PC jumps to the address given by the two-byte jumpaddress of the entry. The number of entries in the table is given by<BYTE>.

<JP(N)> If N is positive, skips the number of instructions indicated byN. If N is negative, goes back the number of instructions indicated byN.

<JP(D)><BYTE1><BYTE2>This instruction causes a jump direct to theaddress indicated by the two-byte argument <BYTE1><BYTE2>.

<STOR(N)> Stores the sixteen-bit value found in ADR3 into the Nthgeneral storage area. There are eight general storage locations. N cantherefore range from zero to seven.

<RTRV(N)> Retrieves the contents of the Nth storage location, and placesthe retrieved contents into ADR3. There are eight general storagelocations. N can therefore range from zero to seven.

<AUX(N)> Calls the auxiliary API that is identified by the auxiliary APInumber N.

<LDSAUX(N)><BYTE1> Loads the auxiliary script API using the codetransfer protocol on the channel dictated by the argument <BYTE1>. Theauxiliary script API becomes the Nth auxiliary API.

<LDAUX(ADDR)><BYTE1> Loads the auxiliary API using the code transferprotocol on the channel dictated by the argument <BYTE1>. The auxiliaryAPI becomes the Nth auxiliary API. In contrast to the LDSAUX load scriptinstruction which loads a script API, the LDAUX instruction loads an APIof machine executable code that can be executed by the processor of thevirtual machine.

<RESART> Jumps to RESET, initiates the values in all registers andstorage locations, and restarts the script interpreter 11.

<DIRECT> Puts the script interpreter 11 into a protected mode called the“DIRECT mode.” Interpretation of the current script is halted, and atwo-way authentication handshake with an external device is made overthe IR link to verify that the external device is authorized to use theDIRECT mode. When the DIRECT instruction is executed, an encryptedsixteen-bit number is sent back to the external device along with athree-byte pseudorandom number. In order to be authenticated, theexternal device uses the three-byte pseudorandom number and anencryption key to decrypt the sixteen-bit number. The external devicesends the decrypted number back to the remote control device. If theremote control device detects that the decrypted number received back iscorrect, then the external device is authenticated and is allowed to usethe DIRECT mode. An authenticated external device can then send a scriptinstruction to the remote control device via the IR link. The scriptinstruction is then immediately interpreted by the remote controldevice. After each injected script instruction is executed, the remotecontrol device returns a response to signal that the instruction wasexecuted on the remote control device. In this way, the external devicecan seize control of the remote control device and cause it to executeinjected script instructions. Once in the DIRECT mode with anauthenticated external device, the remote control device continuesoperating in the DIRECT mode until the external device sends the remotecontrol device the RESTART instruction. Although the DIRECT instructionis described here in connection with the virtual machine receiving theinjected instruction from a bidirectional IR link, the injectedinstruction can in other embodiments be received via another type ofbidirectional link usable by the virtual machine.

<MEMRAM><BYTE1><BYTE2><BYTE3> Outputs from the IR transmitter 12 astream of bytes, where the stream is the contents of a contiguous blockof RAM <BYTE3> bytes long and starting at memory address <BYTE1><BYTE2>.This instruction can only be used in the DIRECT mode.

<MEMPRG><BYTE1><BYTE2><BYTE3> Outputs from the IR transmitter 12 astream of bytes, where the stream is the contents of a contiguous blockof program memory <BYTE3> bytes long and starting at memory address<BYTE1><BYTE2>. This instruction can only be used in the DIRECT mode.

<TRST> Restarts the script (trace restart) as with the RESETinstruction, but puts the script interpreter 11 into a TRACE mode where,after each script instruction is interpreted, the script instruction andscript registers are output from the IR transmitter 15. The order ofinformation output is as follows: <INST> <ARGS> <ADR0> <OFF0> <ADR1><OFF1> <ADR2> <OFF2> <ADR3> <OFF3> <KEY> <TOGGLE> <FLAG> <STOR0> <STOR1><STOR2> <STOR3><STOR4> <STOR5> <STOR6> <STOR7>. The external device mustsend a <STEP> instruction to instruct the script interpreter to executethe next instruction. In the meantime, the external device may sendother instructions to the remote control device such as MEMRAM, MEMPRG,ID, DUMP, RUN, SBRK or RBRK. This functionality adds the ability for anon-chip debugger. This instruction can only be used in the DIRECT mode.

<ID> Outputs via the IR transmitter 15 a two-byte build ID for theproduct firmware which is set when the firmware is built. Following thetwo-byte build ID is a two-byte checksum of the current contents of thefirmware. This instruction can only be used in the DIRECT mode.

<DUMP> The entire contents of firmware is output via the IR transmitter15 in the form of 256-byte packets according to the communicationprotocol used to load scripts over the IR link. This instruction canonly be used in the DIRECT mode.

<SBRK> This instruction may be sent while stepping through the scriptcode in trace mode. This instruction will set a break point at thelocation where the script program pointer is currently located.Depending on the platform, the number of breakpoints will be limited toa certain number. The communication interface within the virtual machinewill return with a one-byte ID for this breakpoint. This instruction canonly be used in the DIRECT mode.

<RBRK><BYTE> Resets the breakpoint described with the argument <BYTE>.This instruction can only be used in the DIRECT mode.

<RUN> Exits trace mode and continues to run the script from the currentlocation until a breakpoint is found. This instruction can only be usedin the DIRECT mode.

<ADDR> When interrogating the device directly, ADDR returns the scriptinstruction pointer.

<LDAUX>Loads a block of native machine code API and then assigns it anAUX number. Once the block of native machine code is loaded and assignedan AUX number, that native machine code can be called from the scriptusing an AUX instruction. This <LDAUX> instruction can, for example, beused to load an API onto the virtual machine.

<LDSAUX> Uses the IR receiver functionality 6 and loader 7 receive ascript API and loads it into memory on the virtual machine. Thisinstruction is similar to the <LDAUX> instruction above, except that itallows a block of script (as opposed to a block of machine code) to beloaded into memory and assigned an AUX number. Script executing on thevirtual machine can then call the loaded block of script using the AUXinstruction.

<EAUX> “Erase all auxiliary machine code APIs” instruction. Causes theloader functionality to erase all machine code APIs and to remove allreferences to them from the AUX table. In some embodiments, theinstruction causes all machine code API's to be erased from memory aswell. Where the memory storing the machine code APIs is FLASH, a blockof erase of memory is used.

<ESAUX> “Erase all auxiliary script APIs” instruction. Causes the loaderfunctionality to remove all references to all auxiliary script APIs fromthe AUX table. In some embodiments, the instruction causes all scriptAPI's to be erased from memory as well. Where the memory storing thescript APIs is FLASH, a block erase of memory is used.

<EXTEND> In FIG. 13, all the instructions have one-byte opcodes. Toallow the addition of more script instructions, a set of two-byte opcodeinstructions is supported. The first byte of such a two-byte opcodeinstruction is the “FF” <extend> instruction. This means that thefollowing byte is the second opcode byte. A table of the two-byte opcodeinstructions like the table of FIG. 13 can be created in the future tosupport the needs of future applications.

A Comparison

In one specific embodiment, the processor executing the virtual machine(referred to here as the Zilog Virtual Machine or “ZVM”) is an 8-bit Z8Encore microcontroller available from Zilog, Inc. of San Jose, Calif.The processor is part of an inexpensive remote control device and hasonly 64 k bytes of program memory (FLASH in this case) and only 4 kbytes of RAM.

A Java virtual machine known as the Kilobyte Virtual Machine (KVM) is a32-bit virtual machine intended for use on small, resource-constraineddevices such as cellular phones, PDAs, smart cards and set-top boxes.The KVM is either the smallest or one of the smallest JVMimplementations. In a very boiled down embodiment, the KVM requiresapproximately 40 k bytes of program memory for the actual virtualmachine code itself.

If an attempt were made to implement the KVM on a Z8 Encore, then onlyapproximately 24 k of FLASH program memory would be left for the programcode of the various APIs (for example, the loader functionality, the IRtransmission engine, and the IR receiver functionality, the key scanningfunctionality, and the level one builder), and for the actual script(the actual script includes information on how to generate operationalsignals in a selected one of many different codesets). It is doubtfulthat the API functions and the needed amount of codeset informationcould be fit fully and comfortably into just 24 k bytes of programmemory available on the Z8 Encore.

In addition to program memory constraints, the KVM also requiresapproximately 32 k bytes of RAM for use by the KVM in order to implementthe virtual machine. In addition to this amount of RAM required for useby the virtual machine code itself, additional RAM is needed for use inreceiving downloaded scripts and for use by the script. The total amountof RAM required to implement the IR remote control functionality setforth above would certainly exceed 32 k bytes. The Z8 Encore, however,only has 4 k bytes of RAM total. Accordingly, it is seen that the memoryresources required to implement the KVM Java virtual machine precludethe KVM JVM from use on an inexpensive Z8 Encore remote control deviceplatform. RAM memory utilization in ZVM, on the other hand, is of theorder of tens of bytes (not tens of kilobytes as in the case of KVM).

One reason that the KVM virtual machine has a large memory footprint isthat the KVM virtual machine is a stack-based virtual machine. Theunderlying processor, on the other hand, is a register-based machine.Having a register-based machine emulate a higher-level stack-basedarchitecture introduces inefficiencies and makes the virtual machinecode larger.

To interpret an instruction on a stack-based virtual machine, thearguments of the instruction are placed onto the stack. When theinstruction is interpreted, arguments in the stack are operated upon.The KVM Java virtual machine is a stack-based virtual machine because itis to be backward compatible with larger Java virtual machines. Thelarger Java virtual machines are stack-based because they were initiallyintended for use on larger computers such as personal computers that hadfar more processing and memory resources. The larger Java virtualmachines were made to be stack-based so that they would not declare moreregisters than exist on whatever platform they are running on. Becausethe larger Java virtual machine was to be able to be implemented on anypossible personal computer type machine, the designers of Java did notwant to impose limits on the number of registers that the underlyinghardware had to have. Java was therefore made to utilize stacks in orderto make the scripting language independent of the registers of theunderlying machine. Making the Java virtual machine stack-based,however, built in inefficiencies in realizing the code of the virtualmachine in cases where the underlying hardware is a register-machine.Due to the 32-bit virtual machine implementation, and due to thestack-based implementation, implementation of the KVM JVM is inefficienton an underlying register-based machine such as the Z8 Encore.

ZVM, on the other hand, is a register-based virtual machine. Not only isit a register-based virtual machine, but it is also an 8-bit virtualmachine as compared with KVM JVM, which is a 32-bit virtual machine. TheZVM script interpreter is therefore efficiently coded and is comfortablyrealized on a Z8 Encore platform. The ZVM script interpreter can becoded compactly so that it occupies no more than approximately 4 k bytesof program memory using under 256 bytes of RAM. The API functionalitiesoccupy the following approximate amounts of program memory: IRtransmitter API: 2 k bytes; loader API: 4 k bytes; IR receiver API: 1.0k bytes; key scanning API: 0.25 k bytes; level one builder API: 0.5 kbytes; and execute script direct API: 0.5 k bytes. The total ZVMincluding the script interpreter and a set of API functionalities can beimplemented in approximately 11-13 k bytes of program memory or less. Itis noted that ZVM does involve a stack as described above in thedetailed description. This stack, however, is a different kind of stackin that it is used for storage of values and for handling subroutines.Script instructions do not generally act on arguments when the argumentsare present in the stack.

KVM JVM executes on an operating system that supports multithreading andgarbage collection functions. The total amount of software implementedon the platform is therefore large. ZVM, in contrast, is made small andcompact by having no underlying operating system executing on theplatform, and by avoiding the temptation to provide multithreading orgarbage collection functions. ZVM does not support multithreading anddoes not have garbage collection functions.

In addition to the differences outlined above between ZVM and the KVMJava virtual machine, the ZVM virtual machine and the scriptsinterpreted by it can be made small and compact because the types ofinstructions making up the scripting language are low-levelinstructions. KVM JMV script instructions, in comparison, are relativelyhigh-level abstract instructions (analogous to a higher-level languageC). ZVM, on the other hand, interprets relatively low-level scriptinstructions (analogous to assembly). ZVM, in this sense, can be thoughtof as an assembly-level virtual machine.

Website for Community of Users

In one example, a website provides users of the virtual machine anability to share scripts and APIs and information on the use of thevirtual machine. The website may, for example, be a publicly availablewebsite sponsored by a supplier of the virtual machine where theunderlying hardware platform is an integrated circuit manufactured andsold by the supplier. The website provides, among other things, a numberof APIs specific to the underlying hardware platform.

Consider an example in which an end user has a virtual machine that wasmanufactured and sold by the supplier. The underlying hardware of thevirtual machine includes an RS-232 type port including control registersand a FIFO via which RS-232 type communications can be received onto thehardware platform and via which RS-232 type communications can betransmitted from the hardware platform. Although the hardware platformhas this RS-232 port circuitry, the virtual machine in the possession ofthe user does not include APIs for accessing and communicating with theRS-232 port circuitry. In accordance with one novel aspect, such a useraccesses the website described above and peruses a list of APIsavailable for downloading. The user may read testimonials posted on thewebsite identified with the various APIs. The user notices a machinecode API that allows communications over the RS-232 type port of theunderlying hardware platform in the possession of the user. The userdownloads the API from the website using the Internet, puts the virtualmachine into its DIRECT mode, and then loads the machine code API intothe virtual machine using the <LDAUX> script instruction in the DIRECTmode. The loader functionality loads the machine code API byte by byteinto the virtual machine and assigns the machine code API the next AUXnumber. The user is then able to try the newly loaded API. The user may,for example, see if the newly loaded API allows easy communication overthe RS-232 type port. If the newly loaded API is not to the user'sliking, then the user can erase the newly loaded API by injecting the<EAUX> and <ESAUX> script instructions into the virtual machine in theDIRECT mode, and then reloading the API's that were previously on thevirtual machine using the <LDAUX> and <LSAUX> script instructions in theDIRECT mode. This causes the loader to load the previous APIs back ontothe virtual machine such that they are packed into contiguous memorylocations without gaps between the various APIs. The result is that thevirtual machine is in the same condition as it was prior to the user'strying of the downloaded machine code API. In this fashion, the user candownload and try APIs from the website. If the user does not like anewly loaded API, the user can remove it from the user's virtualmachine.

In addition to downloading from the website, a user can post softwareand information on the website. The user may, for example, read out thecontents of memory using the DIRECT mode, place those contents in a textfile, and then post the text file on the website for use by other users.The user may post APIs and scripts in this fashion. The user may alsopost textual information about any such posted APIs or scripts.

The website may include numerous script interpreters for downloading byusers. Script interpreters for different hardware platforms may beprovided. The website may include other software tools for developingscripts and for developing APIs. The accessibility of the publiclyavailable website fosters the interchange of information and helpfulhints about how to use the virtual machine in different applications andwith different hardware platforms.

One Exemplary Control and Monitoring Application

In one example, multiple remotely deployed ZVM virtual machine devicesperform control and monitoring functions (for example, motor controlfunctions) and are deployed in a larger machine (for example, anautomobile or other vehicle) such that they can communicate with eachother over a wired bus (for example, a CAN bus). Code (for example, ascript API or a machine code API) that determines how a selected one ofthe ZVM virtual machine devices performs its control and/or monitoringfunctions is downloaded into a selected one of the ZVM virtual machinedevice using the wired bus. The ZVM virtual machine devices are chainedtogether in serial fashion by the wired bus. When the code is to beloaded into the selected one of the ZVM virtual machine device, then ZVMvirtual machine devices in the chain upstream of the selected ZVMvirtual machine device relay the code down the chain to the selecteddevice into which the code is then loaded. In the same way that code isrelayed down the chain to a selected ZVM virtual machine device, so toocan DIRECT instructions be relayed down the chain to a selected ZVMvirtual machine. Relayed DIRECT instructions can be used to test andretrieve diagnostic information from the selected ZVM virtual machine.

Compact Disc Appendix

The Compact Disc contains an embodiment of a level one builderfunctionality, a key-scanning functionality and an IR transmissionengine functionality. The level one builder functionality is written inthe C programming language. The key scanning functionality and the IRtransmission engine functionality are written in assembly code.

CONCLUSION

Although certain specific exemplary embodiments are described above inorder to illustrate the invention, the invention is not limited to thespecific embodiments. Although the virtual machine is described above asgenerating communications in accordance with an IR (infrared)communication protocol usable in remote control devices, a virtualmachine in accordance with the present invention is also usable tocommunicate in accordance with other communication protocols including:IrDA, RF (radio frequency) protocols usable in consumer devices such asgarage door openers, protocols usable to transmit signals over a wiredor fibre optic link in either serial or parallel form, protocols used byRFID tags to communicate such as an absorption modulation protocol,protocols used by SmartCards to communicate, protocols such as IEEE802.11 usable in wireless LANs, and protocols usable in cellulartelephone communications.

Although the bidirectional link in the embodiment of FIG. 1 involves IRtransmitter 12 and IR receiver 15, a bidirectional link in otherembodiments can be an RF bidirectional link. The bidirectional IR linkcan be an IrDA link. The bidirectional link can involve communicationover a wire or wires, or the bidirectional link can involve wirelesscommunication. A script being interpreted by a virtual machine can causecommunication over more than one communication link. API functionalitycan be provided to enable a script to control a display, a lightemitting diode (LED), a speaker, a buzzer, a card-reader, aphotodetector, a bus controller, a motor, an engine, a relay, a switch,a transceiver, a sensor, or another input/output device. APIfunctionality can be provided to enable a script to interface with anytype of device that commonly interfaces with a microcontroller. Where aninexpensive microcontroller-based device is deployed in the field at aremote location but communicates remotely via a bus or network, softwarein the remote device can be updated remotely by communicating a scriptand/or API to the remote device via the bus or network and downloadingthe script and/or API into the remote device and then causing thevirtual machine in the remote control device to interpret the downloadedscript. In this way, software in the remote devices can be updatedremotely across the bus or network. Where the remote devices communicateusing a wireless link such as an RF link, the software updating can beperformed across this wireless link. The virtual machine and novelaspects described above can be applied to home appliances, industrialcontrols, and other monitoring and control applications other thanremote control devices. The virtual machine can involve an interpreterexecuting on an underlying processor platform such as a microcontroller.The virtual machine can also be a dedicated hardware processorspecifically designed to execute the script instructions. In oneembodiment, the dedicated hardware processor is realized by configuringa field programmable gate array (FPGA).

Although the generation of an operational signal is described aboveusing a mark/space table and a string of timing information thatreferences the mark/space table, the novel virtual machine describedabove is usable to generate an operational signal using otherinformation including, for example, a string of values where each valuein the string represents a time value or a value used to load a timer.Successive values in the string represent the times that the operationalsignal has one digital value and then has the opposite digital value.Accordingly, various modifications, adaptations, and combinations ofvarious features of the described embodiments can be practiced withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

1. A method, comprising: (a) calling a script block, wherein the callingthe script block is performed by an upper-level script stored on amicrocontroller, wherein the upper-level script is associated with data,wherein no compiler is present on the microcontroller; (b) interpretingthe script block, wherein the interpreting the script block is performedby an interpreter stored on the microcontroller; and (c) outputting thedata in accordance with a common protocol in response to theinterpreting the script block.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein thecommon protocol is taken from the group consisting of: an encodingprotocol for encoding a digital bit, a modulation protocol formodulating a data signal onto a carrier frequency, a keypad encodingprotocol for encoding a signal from a pressed key, and a transmissionprotocol for transmitting data over an infrared signal.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: (d) calling the script block, wherein thecalling the script block in (d) is performed by a second upper-levelscript stored on the microcontroller, wherein the second upper-levelscript is associated with additional data; (e) interpreting the scriptblock; and (f) outputting the additional data in accordance with thecommon protocol in response to the interpreting the script block in (e).4. The method of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is an 8-bitmicrocontroller with less than seventy kilobytes of memory.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the data form a string of timing information,further comprising: (d) generating an operational signal using thestring of timing information, and wherein the operational signalcontrols an electronic consumer device.
 6. The method of claim 1,wherein the microcontroller is part of a remote control device having akey, wherein the upper-level script contains a keycode corresponding tothe key, and wherein the keycode is a digital number, furthercomprising: (d) before (a), detecting that the key was pressed, whereinthe data represent mark times and space times; and (e) encoding thekeycode onto an operational signal using the mark times and the spacetimes.
 7. A method, comprising: (a) calling a common script block,wherein the calling in (a) is performed by a first script portion on aremote control device, wherein the first script portion contains a firstkeycode of a first codeset that is associated with a first electronicconsumer device; (b) interpreting the common script block called in (a)to generate a first mark time; (c) generating a first operationalsignal, wherein the first keycode is encoded in the first operationalsignal using the first mark time, wherein the first operational signalcontrols a function of the first electronic consumer device; (d) callingthe common script block, wherein the calling in (d) is performed by asecond script portion on the remote control device, wherein the secondscript portion contains a second keycode of a second codeset that isassociated with a second electronic consumer device; (e) interpretingthe common script block called in (d) to generate a second mark time;and (f) generating a second operational signal, wherein the secondkeycode is encoded in the second operational signal using the secondmark time, and wherein the second operational signal controls a functionof the second electronic consumer device.
 8. The method of claim 7,wherein the first operational signal controls a function taken from thegroup consisting of: volume up, volume down, channel advance, channelback, cursor up, cursor down, cursor right, cursor left, select, play,record, stop, forward, back, pause, play VCR, DVD and stereo equalizerpower on, play DVD, and TV power on.
 9. The method of claim 7, whereinthe interpreting the common script block called in (a) generates amark/space table and a string of timing information, wherein themark/space table contains the first mark time, and wherein thegenerating the first operational signal in (c) is performed using themark/space table and the string of timing information.
 10. The method ofclaim 7, wherein the first mark time is an amount of time during which adata signal is a digital high, wherein the data signal is modulated ontothe first operational signal.
 11. A microcontroller comprising: amemory; a first upper-level script stored in the memory, wherein firstdata is associated with the first upper-level script; a secondupper-level script stored in the memory, wherein second data isassociated with the second upper-level script; a script block stored inthe memory, wherein the script block implements a common protocol; andan interpreter that interprets the script block in response to thescript block being called, wherein the first data is output inaccordance with the common protocol in response to the first upper-levelscript calling the script block, wherein the second data is output inaccordance with the common protocol in response to the secondupper-level script calling the script block, and wherein no compiler ispresent on the microcontroller.
 12. The microcontroller of claim 11,wherein the common protocol is taken from the group consisting of: anencoding protocol for encoding a digital bit, a modulation protocol formodulating a data signal onto a carrier frequency, a keypad encodingprotocol for encoding a signal from a pressed key, and a transmissionprotocol for transmitting data over an infrared signal.
 13. Themicrocontroller of claim 11, wherein the memory includes program memoryand data memory, and wherein the microcontroller has no more than 64kilobytes of program memory and no more than 4 kilobytes of data memory.14. The microcontroller of claim 11, wherein the first data is a keycodeassociated with a function of an electronic consumer device, wherein thecommon protocol is an encoding protocol for encoding a digital bit, andwherein the first data is output as a string of mark times and spacetimes.
 15. The microcontroller of claim 11, wherein the first data is afirst keycode of a first codeset that is associated with a firstelectronic consumer device, wherein the second data is a second keycodeof a second codeset that is associated with a second electronic consumerdevice, and wherein the first codeset and the second codeset both employthe common protocol for encoding digital bits.
 16. The microcontrollerof claim 11, wherein the memory includes program memory and data memory,and wherein the first data and the second data are output into amark/space table located in data memory.
 17. The microcontroller ofclaim 11, wherein the microcontroller is an 8-bit microcontroller withless than seventy kilobytes of memory.
 18. A microcontroller comprising:a memory, wherein first data associated with a first upper-level scriptand second data associated with a second upper-level script are storedin the memory; and means for manipulating both the first data and thesecond data so as to conform to a common protocol based in part oninterpretation of script, wherein the means is interpreted in responseto being called, and wherein no compiler is present on themicrocontroller.
 19. The microcontroller of claim 18, wherein the commonprotocol is taken from the group consisting of: an encoding protocol forencoding a digital bit, a modulation protocol for modulating a datasignal onto a carrier frequency, a keypad encoding protocol for encodinga signal from a pressed key, and a transmission protocol fortransmitting data over an infrared signal.
 20. The microcontroller ofclaim 18, wherein the microcontroller is an 8-bit microcontroller withless than seventy kilobytes of memory.
 21. The microcontroller of claim18, wherein the first data is a first keycode of a first codeset that isassociated with a first electronic consumer device, wherein the seconddata is a second keycode of a second codeset that is associated with asecond electronic consumer device, and wherein the first codeset and thesecond codeset both employ the common protocol for encoding digitalbits.